Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins has asked to have his extortion charges dismissed, denying any wrongdoing and arguing that even if the allegations were true, they are insufficient to support the charges.

Tompkins, 67, of Boston, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of extortion under color of official right. He was arrested in early August in Florida, where he made an initial appearance in federal court before returning to Massachusetts. He has pleaded not guilty.

Federal prosecutors say that he used his official position to bully executives at a Boston cannabis company regarding his pre-initial public offering investment of $50,000. Following the IPO, his indictment states, his investment value ballooned to $140,000 but then fell below his initial investment value.

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